How do you talk like a cowboy?

A:

Quick Answer

Talk like a cowboy by studying the history of the American West and incorporating cowboy slang into everyday use. Traditionally, cowboys were cattle ranchers who drove livestock from one location to another. Cowboys continue to be hired hands who raise beef cattle on huge ranches, as of October 2014.

Keep Learning

Discover the American West time period to study how cowboys acted, what they said and what they accomplished. The time period generally runs from 1865 to 1900, and you can access published journals of cowboys online and in non-fiction books.

Research cowboy vocabulary

Research several websites that contain cowboy vocabulary, such as the Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation, Ride South Dakota and Legends of America. Choose from dozens of words listed on these websites.

Add or replace cowboy words in everyday speech patterns

Find your favorite cowboy words, and add them to your everyday lingo. Replace ordinary words with cowboy terminology. For instance, refer to your boss or business owner as "big augur," which denotes a ranch owner. Call a tough person "bomb proof," a word that means a horse that does not spook. Mention that someone is "cribbing" when a person engages in repetitive behavior due to boredom just like horses "crib" when they grab a solid object with their teeth and pull on it.